Most shark species are highly vulnerable to overfishing because they don’t reach sexual maturity until 5-20 years old, and produce only 8-10 pups every other year. Recovery of shark populations from severe depletion generally takes decades, which underscores the need for reliable scientific data, effective management, and conservation measures.
Tiger Shark (Photo courtesy Dennis Liberson)
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC)and State of Maryland manage coastal shark fisheries in state waters (out to three miles) while NOAA manages shark fisheries in federal waters (3-200 miles offshore). NOAA implemented the Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fisheries Management Plan which includes sharks of the Atlantic Ocean to help replenish and protect shark species.
Subsequently, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission adopted an Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coastal Sharks. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Fisheries Management Plan manages forty species of sharks with a goal of being as consistent as possible with the federal Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fisheries Management Plan (NOAA 2006). Additionally, spiny dogfish are also managed at the State and federal level under separate management plans.
While some people still fish for sharks, there are twenty shark species that recreational and commercial fishermen are prohibited to target or keep. These include:
Sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus)
Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus)
Silky shark* (Carcharhinus falciformis)
White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Bigeye sandtiger shark (Odontaspis noronhai)
Whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
Atlantic angel shark (Squatina dumeril)
Longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus)
Bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus)
Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
Bignose shark (Carcharhinus altimus)
Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis)
Night shark (Carcharhinus signatus)
Reef shark (Carcharhinus perezii)
Narrowtooth shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus)
Caribbean sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon porosus)
Smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus)
Sharpnose sevengill shark (Heptranchias perlo)
Bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus)
Bigeye sixgill shark (Hexanchus nakamurai)
*Legal commercial species
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